Tube holding apparatus



Dec. 21, 1943. w. P. sfrucKERT E-rAL A2,337,528

- TUBE`H0LD1NG APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1941 Harold- H. SnyderSZlCkQT/QINVENTORS I BYQ $WWTMV- um A-r-ron N EY sented Dee. 21, 1943UNITED 'runs nomme APPARATUS william P. smeken, Marblehead, Mass., andHarold B. Snyder, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Sylvania ElectricProducts Inc., a. corporation o! Massachusetts Application October 25,1941, Serial No. 416,520

3 Claims.

This invention relates to elongated glass enlopes and more particularlyto apparatus for ltomatically centering them. n

In the formation of 4necks on the ends of tubur glass envelopes and inthe sealing of another ass element to the ends of' said glass envelope Iwell as in other processes where the accurate ntering of the glassenvelope with respect to me other element, especially some element nichis to work on said glass envelope insome anner is of paramountimportance, glass enlopes which are oil center or which are not srfectlystraight present a serious problem.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to rovide a Ameans forautomatically centering ongated glass envelopes of various diameters.

Further objects, advantages and features will a apparent .from -thefollowing specification Iken in conjunction with the accompanying :awingin which: y

The iigure is an elevation partly in section iowing the series ofcentering chucks andtheir :tuating means on the centering conveyor.

The centering mechanism of this invention has een made particularlyadaptable to the glass rming apparatus shown in the co-pendingaplication Serial Number 383,586 iiled March 15, 341, but itsadaptability to other apparatus and lachinery' where -the centering ofthe elongated lass envelopes is of importance may be appre- Lated by oneskilled in the art without departing rom the spirit of the invention.

The annular centering chuck conveyor I which I keyed to the shaft 2 hasa plurality of center- 1g chucks 3 mounted therein. Each of the hucks 3has two jaws 4 and 5. The actuation of bese jaws is accomplished throughthe cam rollrs 5, which form a part of the chuck assembly, oming incontact with the internal cams 'I. The

xternal cam 8, which serves to limit the extent i which the jaw 5 of thechuck 3 may open, along ith the internal cams 'I are all mounted on thehucks which are mounted within the conveyor 'A consist'of two `iaws 4and 5 each having a. bar

ear I3 and I4 respectively forming a part there- `f. These bar gears I3and I 4 lare meshed with he spur gear I5 which is mounted therebetween.

As the conveyor I indexes from position A to osition B, the jaw 5 of thechuck through the am roller 6 will ride up on the cam 1. This will causethe jaw 5 to move outwardly from the conveyor I in which it is mounted.This outward movement is transmitted into the counter clockwise movementof the gear I5 with which it is meshed through the bar gear I4. Thismovement v of the gear I5 will cause the jaw-4 with which it is meshedto move inwardly. .By thus having both jaws move and move in oppositedirections, the greatest range ofchuck adjustability for, differentglass tube diameters is obtained with a small actuating mechanism. y

In as much as the jaws 4 andi are mounted within the conveyor I, thereis no danger of them being thrown out of alignment during the operation.They move in and out in a well-defined path. When the conveyor indexesto station C, the elongated tube I6 which was placed within the chuck atstation B is iirmly gripped therein when the spring I1, suspendedbetween the cam roller 6 and the conveyor Il expands after having beencontracted during thei period when the cam roller 6 was in contact withthe cam 1. These lsprings I1 are concentric with the studs I8 which aidin keeping the springs properly positioned.

At station D, the elongated tube is discharged from the conveyor. Toprevent the' jaws 5 of the chucks 3 from projecting too far out of theconveyor during the cycle from station D back to station B, the externalcam 8 serves as a check thereon and provides a surface on which the camrollers 6 may ride during this portion of the cycle. Thus the extent towhich the jaw 5 will drop down is limited by the locationof the externalcam 8. Notonly does this cam prevent the jaw 5 from dropping down to apoint where it would strike the hshafts I2, but it also serves to keepthe Jaw 5 in position in case the spring I1 which forms a part of thechuck assembly should break or become disconnected. Thus provision ismade to insure that the jaw 5 only moves within certain well-denedpre-determined limits.

As was pointed out abo've, this mechanism is it automatically centerseach piece of glass tubing with the several burnersA and theneck-forming devices which Vsuccessively act upon the lends thereof.When the ends of'a glass -tube to' be worked on are not perfectly round,the chucks will hold the tube in such a position with respect to theburners and the forming device that the neck which is frmed on the endsthereof will be' round and will not be of the same contour as memberunder a tendency o! it was before it was' worked on by the burnersforming device. The same will hold true i: the glass tube is slightlyoval or if it is not perfectly straight.

This essential objective is accomplished by lining up the center line ofthe chucks with the center line of the burners and the forming devicesat the outset. Assurance is had that these twol center Vlines willalways coincide during the operation of the 'apparatus because the twojaws which form each chuck both move each time a tube is placedtherebetween.' Since they have a common source of motivation theybothgmove exactly the same distance at all times. Thus there is nodanger of an alteration or change of the center line of the chuck.

The advantages to be gained byl adopting the principle embodied in thisapparatus may well be .appreciated when one considers that it is readilyi applicable to any type of in which it is desirable to the center lineoi' the work, which might well vary in diil'erent umts of work, `withthe fixed predetermined center line of the element which is to operateon the work.

What we claim is:

1. In apparatus i'or carrying .tubes or the like through a plurality ofindexed steps. a carrier bodymachine or apparatus contour inl oppositionto contour: with said long inward movement through the action of aspring member having automatically line up a an outer curved end with aninent of 'the rotation of, said ring,

y. movement opposite to one end based on one end lbased on said body andthe other end and based on the inner end of said long member lac jacentsaid roller. .n y

' 2. In apparatus `ior carrying tubes or lthe lil through. a pluralityof indexed steps, the combi nation of: a horizontal drive shaft; anannule rin'g mounted on said shaft for rotation there with; a chuck-mounted radially on said ring an having a pair of cooperable jaws; acam rolle attached to one of said jaws; and a cam assem bly comprising amounting below, and independ a support arr on said mounting, a camvplate mounted on sai support arm and lying horizontally in line witi ythe central and lower portions only of the en compassment of said ring',and a group of cam mounted on said plate for engagement with sai' camroller in the operation of said chuck; sail cam group comprising a pairof inner, small ar cams vertically adjacent said drive shaft am onopposite sides thereof, and 'an outer cam, rel atively long in arc. yetlying completely beneatl said drive shaft.-

3. In apparatus for carrying tubes or the lik through a plurality ofindexed steps, a carrie:

4body and a tube centering and clamping uni rthereon, said unitcomprising: a spur gear pivot ally mounted on'said body; and a pair ofclam) arms, each having a rack gear in mesh with sail spurgear; one ofsaid arms comprising va relaI tively short member with a cupped contourat it outer end; and the other of said arms comprisim a relatively longmember having an inner, curvel end with a roller pivotally mountedthereon, am an outer curvedend with a cupped contour facinl inopposition to said short arm cupped contour with said long member undera tendency o1 lthat of said short membei through the action of a springmember lhaving said body and the other end based on the inner end ofsaid long member adjacent said' roller. Y Y

WILLIAMP. STUCKERT.

HAROLD H. BNYDER..

